Car.



A. BECKER.

OAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. l0, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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A. BECKER.

UAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lN-VENTOR Ailauy WITNESSES rui Manu rlrlns co.. lusmupwn, Anyc.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

ANTON BECKER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RALSTON STEEL CAR COMPANY,

OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

.in ears,-the object of the invention being to construct a steel underframe in such manner that it can be substituted for the underframing of hopper-bottom gondola cars already constructed with other forms of underframe and thus providing, in the reconstruction of such cars, steel underframing.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrange-v ments of parts as hereinafter set forth aid pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating an application of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. 'F ig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4: is a transverse section, and Fig. 5 is a detail view.

1 represents a body of a gondola car provided with hopper-bottoms 2, the needle beams 3 which constitute the inner vertical walls of the respective hoppers being braced and sustained by means of truss-rods Ll, vertical rods Or bolts 5 passing upwardly throughsaid needle-beams and also by angle-irons G secured to a center girder 7. The center girder 7 (which sustains the load) has secured to the respective channel members thereof, bolsters 8. Each of these bolsters comprises two members disposed at respective sides of the center girder and each 1nem ber of the bolsters consists of plates 9 disposed edgewise and provided at their upper and lower edges with angle-irons 10, the up per members of which constitute flanges proj ectin laterally from said plates. The inner end 0% each bolster member is secured to a center girder member by means of an angleiron 11 and to the outer end of each bolster member a bracket 1Q, is riveted and constitutes a depressed seat projecting beyond the end of the bolster member for the support of a side sill 13.

At each end of the center sill (the latter terminating inwardly of the ends of the carbody) draft sills ll are provided. Each draft sill overlaps the end of a center girder member; is disposed in a lower horizontal plane than that of the center girder, and is pro vided with an elongated slot 15 for the admission of the lower flange of the center girder member to which said draft sill is secured. This construction is most clearly shown in the detail view, Fig. 5. In order to prevent any possibility of displacement between the center girder members and the draft sill members where they overlap, keeper plates 16 are provided and riveted to the center girder members and to the draft sill mem bers. The outer ends of the draft-sill members are slit and the upper portion bent outwardly and downwardly to form seats 17 for the end sills 18. Each end sill has a width somewhat less than the length of the seat on the draft sill so as to leave room 0n the seats 17 for buffer blocks 19 and angleirons 20 at the lower edges of said buffer blocks,-said angle irons being riveted to the seats 1T and extending from one'to the other. A channel iron Q1 extends transversely across the seats 17 and from end to end of the end sill so as to form a facing for the latter. Each end sill is made of such depth that it will project above the plane of the top of the draft sills and to provide an abutment for this upwardly projecting portion of the end sill, an angle-bar 22 is disposed across the tops of the draft sill members immediately behind the end sill and is provided at its central portion with a strengthening rib 23. The angle-bar 9.2 is made of such length that its ends will project laterally beyond the respective draft sill members and the intermediate portion of the abutment angle-bar is provided with flanges 24 which depend between the draft sill members and are securely riveted to the latter. Angle-bars 25 are also disposed behind the end sill at re spective sides of the draft sills, abut at their inner ends against the latter and are riveted thereto.

The needle-beams hereinbefore referred to may be made of wood and made to extend upwardly beneath the floor line thereby forming walls for the hoppers which are sustained by the center girder.

In the construction of the bolster I prefer to make each member thereof of two parallel plates each provided at its edges with angleirons as hereinbefore explained and the lower angle-irons have secured thereto the end portions of a tension plate 26 extending under the center girder and upon each bolster member is placed a cover plate 27 whichvis riveted to the angle-irons at the upper edges ofthe plates composing the bolster members.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,-

l. The combination with a center girder and draft sills secured thereto and provided with seats for an end sill, of an abutment bar extending across the draft sills behind the end sill seats and having flanges depending betweerrthe draft sills andriveted? thereto.

2. The combination with a center girder and draft sills fixed thereto, said draft sills provided with seats for an end sill, of an abutment bar disposed across the draft sills behind the end sill seats, said abutment bar provided with anges depending between the draft sills and secured thereto, and abutments bars behind the end sill seats and secured at their inner ends to the respective draft sills.

3. The combination with a center girder and draft sills fixed thereto, said draft sills provided with depressed seats, and an end sill supported on said seats, of a channel iron constituting a facing for said end sill and an angle iron abutment bar extending across the draft sills behind the upper portipn of the end sill and secured to said draft si ls.

4. The combination .with a center girder provided at its lower edge with a lateral flange, of a draft sill disposed in a lower plane than that of the center girder and provided with a slot into which the lateral ange of the center girder enters, and means securing said center girder and draft sill together.

5. The combination with a center girder comprising channel-iron members, of draft sills disposed in a lower plane than that of I the center girder, each of said draft sills provided at its rea-r end with a slot into which the. adjacent channel-iron member projects, and means securing the draft sill members to the center girder members.

6. The combination with a channel-iron center girder, of a draft sill having its rear end overlapping the forward end of the center girder, and a keeper plate overlapping the joint of said draft sill and center girder and riveted to both.

7. In a hopper-bottom gondola car, the combination with a center girder, of needle beams below the floor line of the car and sustained by said center girder and brace rods passing vertically through said needle beams, said needle beams constituting end walls for the hoppers of the bottom. p

S. IThe combination with a center girder, of a bolster comprising members disposed at respective sides of the center girder, each of said members comprising a plate secured at its inner end to a center girder member and angle-irons secured to said plate at the respective sides of the center girder, each.

member of the bolster comprising two plates, angle-irons secured at the upper and lower edges of each plate, angle-irons securing said plates to the center girder, a tension plate extending under the center girder and secured to the lower flanges of both bolsterl members and cover plates secured to the upper flanges of the bolster members.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTON BECKER. fitnesses t ELIZABETH HIGGINS, E. S. CULVER. 

